A popular method of guitar playing involves the use of a glass or metal cylinder worn on a finger to provide a slideable stop on one or more strings. The location of the slide along a string determines the pitch of the string when played. The position is continuously adjustable (as opposed to a fretted string where a string is pushed against one of a finite number of metal frets on the instrument) so glissandos and vibratos can be easily produced through motions of the slide along the string.
Stringed-instrument slides are typically cylindrical shells, i.e., the outer surface which contacts the instrument strings is cylindrical and the inner surface into which a finger is inserted is a coaxial cylindrical surface. Metal slides are lathe machined or cut from metal tubing. Glass slides were originally made from the necks or top portions of bottles, and the style of play is still often called bottle-neck slide. An advantage of simple cylindrical slides or slides with cylindrical symmetry is that if their diameter is sufficiently large they can be used on any finger. Another advantage of cylindrical slides or slides with cylindrical symmetry is that if the slide suffers a chip or scratch in one area, it can be rotated and an undamaged part of the surface can be used.
However, cylindrical slides have the disadvantage that the center of mass of the slide is located substantially above the finger-palm joint, typically by the length of somewhere between one and two finger joints. Therefore, the playing finger must bear the weight of the slide when the slide is held at an angle from vertical. Furthermore, the displacement of the center of mass from the pivot point at the finger-palm joint means that a substantial force is required to raise and lower the slide from the instrument strings. Furthermore, slide players generally prefer a tight fit of the slide on a finger, so slide manufacturers generally have to manufacture slides in a variety of sizes to fit a variety of finger sizes.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide with geometry, dimensions and weight distribution facilitating responsiveness, nuanced play, ease of use, etc.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide for low-fretted stringed instruments and low string-tension stringed instruments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the base is contoured so that a substantial portion of weight of the slide is born on the palm.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the weight distribution is balanced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide with geometry, dimensions and weight distribution that reduces the weight born by the finger operating the slide.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide with geometry, dimensions and weight distribution that reduces the moment of inertia and therefore the torques and forces required to operate the slide.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the center of mass is lowered.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the center of mass is near the finger-palm joint.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the base is contoured so that a substantial portion of mass of the slide is located below the level of the finger-palm joint.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide which teeters on the finger with a pivot point at or near the top of the palm.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide whose operation involves different physical principles than traditional musical instrument slides.
And also more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the center of mass is moved towards the plane of the palm, and more particularly near or on the plane of the palm, particularly over a range of orientations of the slide-bearing finger.
And still more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a musical instrument slide where the geometry, dimensions and mass distribution are such that the moment of inertia for rotation about the pinky-palm joint is reduced.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description or may be learned from the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.